The following is a fictitious example of the types of predatory emails we, as the librarians at Palo Alto University, encounter in our day-to-day work. This example is meant to illustrate the language being used to pressure researchers and students alike as they look for journals to publish their work.
Dear Colleague,
The Journal of Global Conflict Studies (JGCS, ISSN 1234-4321) is peer-reviewed and its scope covers all areas of global conflict. JGCS is committed to the long-term preservation of its content. JGCS commenced publication in 2015 and all of its articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstracts and full texts of all articles can be read online without any form of restriction. All manuscripts are subjected to a double-blind review. Please read the instructions (https://totallyvalidjournal[dot]org) before submitting your manuscript.
The breadth, depth, and quality its articles justify JGCS's reputation. We remain dedicated to providing the support needed for your article to achieve the high reputation and publicity it deserves. Your article will remain online (open access) and will be freely accessed and cited by academics and researchers all over the world. Do not hesitate to contact me if you require any information at helpfulemail@totallyvalidjournal[dot]org.
Best,
Editorial Office
Journal of Global Conflict Studies
As previously stated, this is one of many types of predatory emails we see in our inbox. In this particular example, the journal mentions it's a peer-reviewed journal and provides an international standard serial number (ISSN). You can always check the validity of an ISSN with the ISSN Portal. This is a helpful way to determine whether the journal is, indeed, the journal it claims to be in the initial email or on its website.
It's not enough for a journal to simply state it's a peer-reviewed journal. To verify whether or not the journal in question is peer reviewed, it's best to check with a well-known abstract/indexing service or databases, such as PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, etc. Another method would be to check with the Directory of Open Access Journals.